[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 47 (Monday, March 11, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15351-15355]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05521]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE


International Trade Administration

U.S. Civil Nuclear Trade Policy Mission to Hanoi, Vietnam & Beijing 
and Sanmen, China; May 16-23, 2013

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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Mission Description

    The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) International Trade 
Administration's (ITA) Manufacturing and Services (MAS) and U.S. and 
Foreign Commercial Service (CS) units are organizing an executive-led 
Civil Nuclear Trade Policy Mission to Hanoi, Vietnam and to Beijing and 
Sanmen, China from May 16-23, 2013. Participants may elect to 
participate in both the Vietnam and China portions of the mission, or 
only one of these countries. The purpose of the mission is to connect 
U.S. companies with key contacts in the target markets and to promote 
market policies and procedures that enable U.S. companies to gain 
robust access to commercial opportunities in these markets. As an 
optional day prior to the start of the trade mission, in Hanoi, 
Vietnam, trade mission participants will have the opportunity to 
observe the U.S.-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) \1\ 
Energy Cooperation--Subsector Network workshop on civil nuclear power 
on May 16, 2013.
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    \1\ ASEAN Member countries include, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, 
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and 
Vietnam. The ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation 2010-2015 
noted one of its strategic goals as being ``regional capacity 
building in nuclear energy for regulators, operators and relevant 
educational institutions, among other things through training, 
workshop, seminar and information exchange.''
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    Vietnam and China offer abundant opportunities to civil nuclear 
companies. According to the China Nuclear Power Middle and Long Term 
Plan 2005-2020, China's nuclear power installed capacity will reach 60 
million to 70 million kilowatts, and the total investment in the 
nuclear power market will be more than 450 billion yuan (U.S. $72 
billion) by 2020.\2\ China's nuclear industry is expected to grow to 
nearly $300 billion by 2020 and commercial opportunities in Vietnam are 
currently estimated at $10 billion and are expected to grow to $50 
billion by 2030.
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    \2\ As reported by the United States Embassy to China in 
Beijing.
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    The Civil Nuclear Trade Policy Mission offers a timely and cost-
effective means for U.S. firms to engage

[[Page 15352]]

with key stakeholders and to enter the promising Chinese and Vietnamese 
markets for civil nuclear goods and services. Target subsectors holding 
high potential for U.S civil nuclear exporters include: Legal and 
advisory services; engineering, procurement and construction; operators 
and maintenance providers; component manufacturers; and the fuel 
subsector, including mining, enrichment, fuel fabrication, transport 
and storage. There are also opportunities for collaboration on 
education and research and development with U.S. universities and 
research institutions. A U.S. government delegation with senior 
officials from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy and State, as 
well as the White House, will accompany participants during the mission 
to serve as advisors and civil nuclear subject matter experts.
    This mission will contribute to the President's National Export 
Initiative (NEI, www.export.gov/nei) and the DOC's Civil Nuclear Trade 
Initiative (CNTI, http://export.gov/civilnuclear/index.asp), by 
assisting U.S. businesses in entering or expanding in international 
markets, and enhancing U.S. exports.
    Eligible mission participants include representatives of U.S. 
companies from across the civil nuclear supply chain, including 
entities providing related services to the industry such as 
universities and research institutions, as well as U.S. trade 
associations in the civil nuclear industry whose members have both 
commercial and policy interests in China and Vietnam. The mission will 
help U.S. companies and U.S. trade associations gain market insights, 
make industry contacts, solidify business strategies, and identify or 
advance specific projects with the goal of increasing U.S. civil 
nuclear exports to China and to Vietnam. The schedule will include 
business appointments with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, 
distributors and joint venture partners; meetings with national and 
regional government officials; and networking events. This mission also 
will provide venues for senior U.S. government officials and 
participating organizations to meet with Chinese and Vietnamese 
officials to discuss timely nuclear issues. The mission will allow U.S. 
companies and trade associations to be part of an official U.S. 
government delegation, rather than traveling to China or Vietnam 
individually, and enhances their ability to secure desired meetings. 
The delegation will be comprised of at least 15 U.S. companies and 
trade associations.
    In November 2009, President Obama signed a Joint Statement at the 
first U.S.-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting that included the following: ``the 
United States proposed that the U.S. Secretary of Energy and the ASEAN 
Ministers on Energy meet in 2010 to advance energy security and clean 
energy and to explore cooperation in renewable and alternative energy * 
* * Under the ASEAN Energy Cooperation--Subsector Network, the U.S. 
government finalized an energy work plan that includes nuclear. A 
number of the countries in ASEAN are considering nuclear energy for 
power generation as a long-term option. The U.S.-ASEAN workshop on 
civil nuclear power serves as a forum for the U.S. mission participants 
to gain substantive insights on each of the ten member countries' 
energy plans, including nuclear developments and planning horizons. In 
addition, there will be networking opportunities for mission delegates 
to meet and speak with representatives from the ASEAN member countries.

Commercial Setting

    Vietnam: From 2000 until 2012, Vietnam's annual GDP growth rate 
averaged 6.6 percent, reaching an all-time high of 8.5 percent in 
December 2007. Its energy mix in 2010 was 38 percent hydro, 31.4 
percent gas, 18.5 percent coal, and 12.1 percent other fuels.\3\ Demand 
is growing rapidly, resulting in electricity rationing. Electricity 
demand growth has been 14 percent per year. In July 2011, in the 
aftermath of the March 2011 Fukushima accident, the Prime Minister 
approved the National Master Plan for Electricity Development for 2011-
2020 with the Vision to 2030. The government specified Ninh Thuan 1 & 2 
Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) with a total of eight 1000 MWe reactors 
coming on line annually from 2020-2027. In March 2012, the Vietnamese 
government re-stated that it would continue to implement its nuclear 
power program and deploy the Ninh Thuan NPPs in cooperation with 
Russia. Vietnam may be the first Southeast Asian country to build a 
NPP. The goal for this segment of the mission is to help U.S. suppliers 
establish a ``foothold'' in the Vietnamese market as the country 
develops its nuclear power program.
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    \3\ Vietnam Atomic Energy Agency's Presentation to IAEA, March 
2012.
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    China: Since 1979, China's GDP has grown at an average rate of 
almost ten percent annually and in 2009 China surpassed the United 
States to become the world's largest energy consumer. Nearly eighty 
percent of China's electricity is produced from fossil fuel (mostly 
coal) and 18 percent from hydro, with a small percentage produced from 
renewable sources. Nuclear power supplies 2 percent of China's 
electricity. China has the fastest growing nuclear energy program in 
the world. There are currently 16 reactors in operation and nearly 30 
under construction employing technologies from France, Canada, Russia 
and the United States.\4\ In October 2012, Premier Wen Jiabao outlined 
a modified approach to nuclear power development that takes a steady 
pace to build NPPs and will comply with new generation safety 
standards. The revised nuclear capacity target for 2020 is now 58 GWe. 
During the same timeframe, the State Council approved the 12th Five-
Year Plan for Nuclear Safety and Radioactive Pollution Prevention and 
Vision for 2020, in which China plans to spend RMB 80 billion ($13 
billion) on improving nuclear safety at plants already in operation as 
well as those currently under construction or planned over the next 
three years. The planned inland sites have been put on hold until after 
2015.
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    \4\ This information is in accordance with reports from the U.S. 
Embassy in Beijing and the World Nuclear Association, http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf63.html (2013).
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     China has three state-owned enterprises (SOEs) that are 
permitted to own NPPs:
    [cir] China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC);
    [cir] China Guangdong Nuclear Power Corporation (CGNPC); and
    [cir] China Power Investment Corporation (CPI)
     China also has set up additional SOEs to undertake NPP 
construction and other business activities, including:
    [cir] China Nuclear Power Engineering Company;
    [cir] China Guangdong Engineering Company;
    [cir] State Nuclear Power Engineering Company;
    [cir] China Power Investment Nuclear Engineering Company;
    [cir] China Nuclear Engineering and Construction Corporation; and
    [cir] State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) is 
undertaking AP1000 technology and developing the CAP1400.
    The governmental organizations that are responsible for nuclear 
energy development in China are the State Council, the National Energy 
Administration (NEA), the China Atomic Energy Authority (CAEA), and the 
National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA).

[[Page 15353]]

     The State Council is the highest executive body of state 
power and administration responsible for carrying out principles and 
policies as well as the regulations and laws.
     The NEA, an independent ministerial level agency within 
the National Development and Reform Commission, is responsible for 
nuclear power development and nuclear industry management;
     The CAEA, an agency under the Ministry of Industry and 
Information, is responsible for nuclear fuel cycle industry management 
and nuclear emergency preparedness and response.
     The NNSA under the Ministry of Environment Protection is 
responsible for nuclear safety regulation and licensing and regulating 
nuclear installations, components, and materials.
    Ultimately, China's long-term nuclear energy policy goals are to 
establish indigenous assembly, fabrication, and nuclear fuel production 
capability; maximize domestic manufacturing of power plants and 
equipment with self-reliance in design and management; and to establish 
and enhance international cooperation to establish their own reactor 
market, aimed at exporting its own reactors in the future. However, in 
the near-term, China will rely on existing equipment and services in 
the global supply chain.

Mission Goals

    The goal of the Civil Nuclear Trade Policy Mission to Vietnam and 
China is to promote exports of civil nuclear goods and services and 
encourage market policies and procedures that enable U.S. companies to 
gain robust access to commercial opportunities in these markets.
    In Vietnam, the mission will help U.S. companies and trade 
associations investigate potential opportunities, and educate 
Vietnamese stakeholders on U.S. nuclear energy capabilities. The 
mission also will include a best practices seminar to discuss the 
challenges countries face when first developing a nuclear energy 
program. These activities will contain a strong trade promotion 
component and also seek to address the policy challenges to U.S. civil 
nuclear energy companies operating or seeking to operate in this 
country. While in Hanoi, trade mission participants will participate in 
the U.S.-ASEAN workshop on civil nuclear power, enabling networking 
opportunities with ASEAN government officials and industry experts and 
promoting U.S. civil nuclear technologies and services.
    In China, the mission will clarify for U.S. companies and trade 
associations how to access commercial opportunities in various sectors 
of China's nuclear energy industry, will seek to increase awareness of 
U.S. nuclear industry capabilities among Chinese government officials 
at the central and provincial government levels, and will connect U.S. 
companies and trade associations with appropriate decision-makers.

Mission Scenario \5\
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    \5\ Subject to availability and confirmation.
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    Prior to the start of the trade mission, on May 16 in Hanoi, trade 
mission participants will have the option to observe the U.S.-ASEAN 
civil nuclear power workshop. The workshop will include five panel 
sessions on topics ranging from nuclear infrastructure to waste 
management and fuel services, and a discussion on the essential 
elements in developing a safe and secure nuclear power program. ASEAN 
representatives will discuss the appropriateness of new technologies to 
their country's particular circumstances and learn about developing a 
robust regulatory and legal framework for safety and liability.
    On May 17 in Hanoi, trade mission participants will receive a U.S. 
Embassy briefing, and meet with senior Vietnamese officials at the 
Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, 
and executives from Electricity Vietnam. Participants will attend a 
luncheon with remarks by the Commerce official leading the trade 
mission, the U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam and officials from the 
Government of Vietnam (GOV). In addition, there will be a seminar on 
best practices where trade mission participants will share their 
experience from projects in other markets and Vietnamese participants 
will discuss opportunities for U.S. companies in Vietnam. Vietnamese 
participants in the seminar on best practices include: Vietnam Atomic 
Energy Institute (VINATOM), Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear 
Safety and Control (VARANS), Electricity Vietnam (EVN), and the 
Ministry of Industry and Trade. In the evening, mission participants 
will meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and attend a 
farewell dinner with the U.S. government delegation, Vietnamese 
government officials and mission participants.
    On May 20 in Beijing, trade mission participants will participate 
in an Embassy briefing, meet with Chinese government officials (NEA, 
CAEA, NNSA, Ministry of Commerce, CNNC, SNPTC, CPI and CGNPC) and take 
part in business appointments with private-sector organizations. In 
addition, they will enjoy a networking reception hosted by U.S. 
Ambassador Gary Locke and attended by representatives of Chinese 
industry and government officials and other key stakeholders.
    On May 23 in Sanmen, trade mission participants will have meetings 
with key civil nuclear Chinese government and industry officials and 
visit the Sanmen AP1000 nuclear power plant.
    A U.S. government delegation, which will include senior officials 
from the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy and State, and the White 
House, will accompany participants during the mission. Trade mission 
participants will be counseled before and after the mission by CS China 
and CS Vietnam staff and other federal agencies actively involved in 
nuclear energy trade promotion activities in Vietnam and China.

        Proposed Timetable for the U.S.-ASEAN Workshop (Optional)
 [Note that specific events and meeting times have yet to be confirmed]
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             Date                    Location             Activity
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Wednesday, May 15.............  Hanoi............  Arrive and check-in
                                                    at hotel.
Thursday, May 16, Optional Day  Hanoi............  ASEAN Nuclear Energy
                                                    Cooperation-
                                                    Subsector Network's
                                                    (NEC-SSN) U.S.-ASEAN
                                                    Workshop on Civil
                                                    Nuclear Power: ``The
                                                    Essential Elements
                                                    of Developing a Safe
                                                    and Secure Nuclear
                                                    Power Program''
                                                    followed by an
                                                    evening reception
                                                    and networking
                                                    event.
                                                   Arrive and check-in
                                                    at hotel (for
                                                    participants not
                                                    attending the U.S.-
                                                    ASEAN Workshop).
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[[Page 15354]]


        Proposed Timetable for U.S. Mission to Vietnam and China
 [Note that specific events and meeting times have yet to be confirmed]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
            Date                    Location              Activity
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, May 17, Day 1.......  Hanoi...............  Morning:
                                                     U.S.
                                                     Embassy Briefing.
                                                     Visit
                                                     Ministry of Science
                                                     and Technology.
                                                     Visit
                                                     Ministry of
                                                     Industry and Trade.
                                                     Visit with
                                                     Electricity
                                                     Vietnam.
                                                    Luncheon: with
                                                     remarks by Trade
                                                     Mission Leader,
                                                     Ambassador Shear,
                                                     and Government of
                                                     Vietnam.
                                                    Afternoon: Seminar
                                                     on Best Practices--
                                                     U.S. delegates
                                                     share experience
                                                     from projects in
                                                     other markets.
                                                     Vietnamese
                                                     participants
                                                     include: Vietnam
                                                     Atomic Energy
                                                     Institute
                                                     (VINATOM), Vietnam
                                                     Agency for
                                                     Radiation and
                                                     Nuclear Safety and
                                                     Control (VARANS),
                                                     Electricity Vietnam
                                                     (EVN), Ministry of
                                                     Industry and Trade.
                                                    Evening:
                                                     Meeting
                                                     with Prime Minister
                                                     Nguyen Tan Dung.
                                                     Farewell
                                                     Dinner with
                                                     Delegates.
Saturday, May 18, Day 2.....  Hanoi...............  Delegates on their
                                                     own.
Sunday, May 19, Day 3.......  Beijing.............  Arrive Beijing.
                                                    Check in at hotel.
                                                    Welcome reception
                                                     and U.S. Embassy
                                                     Briefing
                                                     (organizations,
                                                     U.S. government
                                                     delegation, Embassy
                                                     staff).
Monday, May 20, Day 4.......  Beijing.............  Morning: Beijing
                                                     government meetings
                                                     to include: NEA,
                                                    CAEA, NNSA, MOFCOM.
                                                    Afternoon:
                                                     Government
                                                     meetings.
                                                    Evening: Networking
                                                     reception hosted by
                                                     Amb. Locke.
Tuesday, May 21, Day 5......  Beijing.............  Morning: Industry
                                                     meetings.
                                                    Afternoon:
                                                     Government meetings
                                                     with CNNC, SNPTC,
                                                    CGNPC, CPI.
                                                    Evening: Open.
Wednesday, May 22, Day 6....  Beijing-Ningbo......  Morning: Industry
                                                     meetings.
                                                    Afternoon: Train/
                                                     plane to Ningbo,
                                                     bus to Sanmen.
                                                    Evening: Dinner with
                                                     CNNC.
Thursday, May 23, Day 7.....  Ningbo..............  AP1000 site visit.
                                                    End of Mission.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NB: The precise schedule will depend on availability of local
  government officials and business managers, and the specific goals of
  participants.)

Participation Requirements

    U.S. companies and U.S. trade associations interested in 
participating in the trade mission must complete and submit an 
application package for consideration by the DOC. All applicants will 
be evaluated on their ability to meet certain conditions and best 
satisfy the selection criteria as outlined below. A minimum of 15 and 
maximum of 20 companies and/or trade associations will be selected to 
participate in the mission from the applicant pool. U.S. companies or 
trade associations already doing business with China and/or Vietnam, as 
well as those seeking to enter these markets for the first time, may 
apply.

Fees and Expenses

    After a company or organization has been selected to participate on 
the mission, a payment to the DOC in the form of a participation fee is 
required. U.S. companies and organizations may elect to participate in 
both the Vietnam and China portions of the mission, or one of the 
countries. Participants will be able to take advantage of U.S. Embassy 
rates for hotel rooms.
     The fee to participate in the mission to China and Vietnam 
is $5500 for a small or medium-sized company (SME) \6\ or for a trade 
association, and $7000 for a large company. The fee for each additional 
representative (large company, trade association, or SME) is $1300.
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    \6\ An SME is defined as a firm with 500 or fewer employees or 
that otherwise qualifies as a small business under SBA regulations 
(see http://www.sba.gov/services/contracting opportunities/
sizestandardstopics/index.html). Parent companies, affiliates, and 
subsidiaries will be considered when determining business size. The 
dual pricing reflects the Commercial Service's user fee schedule 
that became effective May 1, 2008 (see http://www.export.gov/newsletter/march2008/initiatives.html for additional information).
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     The fee to participate in the China portion only is $4000 
for an SME or trade association and $4800 for a large company. The fee 
for each additional representative (large company, trade association, 
or SME) is $800. This fee also includes the cost of transportation from 
Beijing to Sanmen.
     The fee to participate in the Vietnam portion only is 
$1500 for an SME or trade association and $2200 for a large company. 
The fee for each additional representative (large company, trade 
association, or SME) is $500.

Exclusions

    The mission fee does not include any personal travel expenses such 
as lodging, most meals, local ground transportation, except as stated 
in the proposed timetable, and air transportation from the United 
States to the mission sites and return to the United States. Business 
visas may be required. Government fees and processing expenses to 
obtain such visas also are not included in the mission costs. However, 
the DOC will provide instructions to each participant on the procedures 
required to obtain necessary business visas.

Conditions for Participation

    Applicants must submit a completed mission application signed by a 
company or trade association official, together with supplemental 
application materials, including adequate information on the 
organization's

[[Page 15355]]

products and/or services, primary market objectives, and goals for 
participation. If the DOC receives an incomplete application, the DOC 
may reject the application, request additional information, or take the 
lack of information into account in its evaluation.
    Each applicant also must certify that the products or services it 
seeks to export through the mission are either produced in the United 
States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have 
demonstrable U.S. content of the value of the finished product or 
service. In the case of a trade association or trade organization, the 
applicant must certify that, for each company to be represented by the 
trade association or trade organization, the products and services the 
represented company seeks to export are either produced in the United 
States, or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have 
demonstrable U.S. content.

Selection Criteria

    Preference will be given to applicants who plan to participate in 
both the Vietnam and China mission stops. Selection will be based on 
the following criteria:
     Suitability of the company's (or, in the case of a trade 
association, represented companies') products or services to each of 
the markets the company or trade association has expressed an interest 
in visiting as part of this trade mission.
     The company's (or, in the case of a trade association, 
represented companies') potential for business in the region and in 
each of the markets the company or trade association has expressed an 
interest in visiting as part of this trade mission, including 
likelihood of exports resulting from the mission.
     Consistency of the applicant company's (or, in the case of 
a trade association, represented companies') goals and objectives with 
the stated mission scope.
    Diversity of company size, sector or subsector, and location also 
may be considered in the review process.
    Referrals from political organizations and any documents containing 
references to partisan political activities (including political 
contributions) will be removed from an applicant's submission and will 
not be considered.

Timeline for Recruitment and Application

    Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, 
including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the DOC trade 
mission calendar (http://export.gov/trademissions) and other Internet 
Web sites (including the Civil Nuclear Exporters Portal at 
www.export.gov/civilnuclear), press releases to general and trade 
media, direct mail, notices by industry trade associations and other 
multiplier groups, and publicity at industry meetings, symposia, 
conferences, and trade shows. Recruitment will begin immediately and 
conclude no later than April 15, 2013. The DOC will review applications 
and make selection decisions on a rolling basis by April 20, 2013. 
Applications received after April 15, 2013 will be considered only if 
space and scheduling permits.

Contacts

David Kincaid, Manufacturing and Services, Office of Energy and 
Environmental Industries, Washington, DC, Tel: (202) 482-1706, Email: 
[email protected].
Jonathan Chesebro, Manufacturing and Services, Office of Energy and 
Environmental Industries, Washington, DC, Tel: (202) 482-1297, Email: 
[email protected].

Elnora Moye,
Trade Program Assistant.
[FR Doc. 2013-05521 Filed 3-8-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-FP-P